top of page

INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS

A pulmonary function test evaluates how well your lungs are working. It includes spirometry to measure airflow, body plethysmography to assess lung volumes, and a DLCO test to evaluate how efficiently your lungs transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. These tests help diagnose and monitor respiratory conditions such as asthma, COPD, or other lung diseases.

1

Would you benefit from a breathing test?

Talk to your doctor if you experience any of the following: 

  • New or severe breathlessness?

  • Frequent chest infections?

  • Persistent or an unchanged cough?

  • Chest pain, unexplained fatigue or have had sudden weight loss?

  • Have you smoked or currently smoking? 

  • Do you need testing to rule out an allergy causing your asthma flare ups?

  • Exercise induced wheeze/breathlessness

2

What to bring to your appointment?

​

  • Your GP or specialist referral

  • Invoicing information if referred by a 3rd party

  • A current medication list and any allergies that you may have

  • Medicare Card

  • Pension or Concession Card if you have one

  • Veterans Affairs (DVA) Card if you have one

​

3

Pre-test Preparation

All patients are asked to refrain from the following before their test:

  • Smoking on day of test (or at least 1 hour)

  • Performing vigorous exercise (1 hour)

  • Consuming alcohol or caffeinated drinks (4 hours)

  • Using short-acting bronchodilators (e.g. Ventolin, Bricanyl) (8hours)

​

Our bronchial provocation tests require extended inhaler witholding times, which can be viewed in the link below:

bottom of page